Sectional grain-door.



F. M. REED.l SEGTIONAL GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l; 1907.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

m E u J n 2 w www f @i z w f r I 2 p J 3 E 0 -my z a@ a, f 7 z Z iwi ATTORNEY ran sfrnrns PATENT oFFicE.

l FRANKlilblltf-V REED, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDlANAfASSIGNOR TO THE SEGTIONALGRAIN. DOOR COMPNY, EXISTING. UNDER' THE 'LAWS .OFNDIANA SECTION AL GRAINDOOR.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jah. 1e, 1909;

Applicatonled Maysl, 1907.. Serial No. 371,362i

' compa-nying i drawing;

My invention: relates to certain improvements in sectional grain-doors for-railroad 'freight-mars, as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object -of this invention is to produce a door'strncture of suclra Acharacterthat-fone direction-'to eliminatea rattling of the door sections; and, finally, to produce a structure whereby the 'sections of the door may be telescopedr or moved longitudinally intov an inclosing casing, which may be-a part o'the structure of thecar; whereby' the door sections areK concealed and carefully stored when not in use. I attain theseA objects by means of the construction of-thesectional grain door illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which' like-numerals otret'erence designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional 'elevational view of a box'carshowing my invention of a sectional grain door applied to the same. Fig. 2 isa sectional top View of the samel taken along the linel A.' B". in Figs. 1 and 3; Fig; 3 is asectional end 'View ofthe sametakenK along the -line C. D. in Figs.` 1 and 2.' Fig.. el- -isan enL larger] detail broken view of a door section. Fig.` 5` is an enlarged detail broken-view of a portion ofthe lower door'sectionshow'- ing theanxiliary grain door-thereof.`A Fig: Gis a transverse sectional View othe same takenalong the-'line'Ffz- F. in Figs.`1 and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailv broken-view ofa portioir of' a door post showing the gravity latch anda door section engaged tclescoped its particular by 'said-latch to retain saiddoor'sectionin closedy positioni Fig. 8 -is-an' enlarged detail brolreiisectional top viewr of 1 the door post and-.a portion of a door section and aportion of itsinclosin0'\ chamber said section taken along Athe line H.in Figs: 1. 3. and 7; and,

Fig. 9 is asimilar view'A showing a door section locked in` its concealed position in `its inclosin'g chamber.

Tlieecar to which my invention of a sectional 'giain door may be applied may-be ofthe usual vtype-of closed or box freight car having the sidesl, in which are formed thedoor openings 2, and the ioor supported by a suitable 'framework 4.

Situatedat oneside=of the door opening y2 is a door! receiving chamber 5, intowliich the doorsections, 7 S, and 9 are'v adapted to be-slid to be concealed. Thechamber 5 is inclosed bythe jamb' orvertically extending stop post 10, the horizontally extending rail 11, the end verticallyextending closing rail 12, and the--inclosing casing 13,

The chamber 5 is divided into longitudinallyA extendingv portions ror compartments 14, 15, 16 and 17 by the-horizontally extending strips or bars-18, 19,;and`20', and in each of said .compartments-isada ted to be-slid or strips or bars 18, 19 and 20v-do not 'entend the entirelength ofthe compartment, but are shorter than said compartment to provide a space-between their ends and the end post 12, for the purpose of permitting grain, seed, oi' other finely divided matter which might bedeposited-y on said strips-oi' bars-from accumulating thereon-to ret-fard or'prevent the proper closing of the door sections. The door-sections when moved backwardly into their respectivecompartments will push any small obstruction or' accumulation' of fine matter'th'at maybe deposited on said strips orba-rs'along said barsto their inner ends which' ends being situated so as to leave-a clearing spaeebetweenthem and the post 12 ashei'einbefore described, will permit said matter to ldrop from said strips to the-botL tom of the'compartment from w-lience it is removed through a suitable clearing op ening formed in the bottom of thel compartment casing by the-backward movement of the lowerfdor'section when the latter'is moved backwardly into the: position shown in Fig. 1." The-said strips or bars each-operate as distance pieces' Wl-iiclr -fitfy in between the oor section. The

casing of the car and the inclosing casing Aof the compartment, thereby reinforcing may be loaded, and thus preventing said- Acasing springing inwardly against a door section or the door-sections and preventing their movement either inwardly or outwardly. The door sections 6, 7, 8, and 9 are each provided'with longitudinally extending rabbeted edges, so that when said door sections are situated in .their superposed positions said sections will lap at -their longitudinal edges and thereby form close joints at said contacting edges 'and-prevent a leakage ,of the grain. The floor 3 is provided with a groove whichis situated to'extend along the bottom ofthe chamber 5, along and adjacent -the door opening 2 tothe door post 24. In

this groove a channel iron 6El of suitable size and length to completely lill said groove is fitte and secured therein to form a substantial guide way in which the lower door section 6 is adapted to slide in a longitudinal direction.' lAt or near the 'ends of said door sections 6, 7, 8,- and 9 and on the inner sides thereof'are secured the channel irons 21 and 22 which operate as stops to prevent the door lsection from being either forcibly moved too far into or withdrawn from its inclosing chamber and detached and removed from the car. The channel iron 21 is situated in `such position at or near the outer end of a section that it will Contact the lstop post 10 when a door section is slid or telescoped into its compartment and said channel'ir'on stops prevent said door section from belng moved Y too far into said compartment to injure the pointed inner end thereof by contacting with the` end post 12 of said inclosing chamber. i

The inner end 'channel irons 22 of the door` sections are situated on the opposite ends and onthe same side of each of said door sections as the channel irons 21 and said channel irons are so situated as to permit any one of the door sections to be independently moved longitudinally out oi vits compartment not only to extend over the door openings 2, but also to permit a door section to be slid longitudinally till its projecting end enters the space situated between the inside of the car and the vertically extending door lip 23 .secured on the vertically extending 4distance-bar 24 whereby this end of a section is securely retained and supported against the sideV posts of the door opening 2. The opposite ends of the door sections 6,7, 8, and 9, are formed with inclined or beveled portions 25 which are so arranged that when a door section is moved longitudinally its full extent said door section will slide oli' its supporting strip and its under edge will rest upon the upper edge ofthe next under.-

-sections of all outward lying section and the beveled end portion 25 of said section will wedge against. the correspondingly formed ,end26 of the supporting strip and each of said'door sections has ,its 'inner'end-portion thus formed so that the entire series of door sections, when all are used, will be secured firmly-and tightly in place and a longitudinal movement of,

any of said sections 1s prevent'dfandthee/ fore all noise and rattle of said door sections is eliminated.

The beveled or inclined ends 25 formed on said door-sections operate as a means for elevating or raising this end of each of the door sections to the level of its supporting strip or bar so as to be readily moved longitudinall or telescoped into. its compartment.

The dbor lip 23 1s secured to the post 24 by the securing bolts 36 which are spaced at regular intervals apart corresponding to -the depth of each door-section, which bolts also serve the purpose of a support or rest upon which this end of each door-section rests.

being thus supported at both their ends, the weight of that section upon the contiguous section or that section situated directly b'elow and under it is either eliminated wholly or in part, and'thus relieves the lower sec. tion 6 of the weight of the upper superposed sections 7, 8, and 9, so that said lower section may be readily moved independently of said uppersections to remove grain 4or other loose matter with which the car may be loaded and therebyv release said upper y pressure to permit their opening.

The next important feature of this invention consists in thev means whereby the doors are locked when each of the door-sections are moved into position to close the door opening 2 and the means for locking said door-sections when moved into their inclosing compartments.

The door post 27 is provided with a series of open recesses 28 in each of which is pivotally secured a gravity operated latch 29, each of which is situated so as to drop or swing into engagement with its door section, or said latch is adapted to swing downwardly to be situated transversely over the end' of a door section to maintain and lock the same in position.

The gravity latch 29 is constructed with its engaging end made larger and weightier lThe three upper door-sections 7, 8, and 9,

than the trigger end so that the pivotal center is situated to one side of the center of gravity of the latch which' center of gravity 1s situated `between said pivotal center andy theengagin end of said latch so that said latchwill all automatically into engagement with its door-section whether the latter is open or closed.

Each of the door sections 7, 8, and 9 is provided with a latch engaging groove 36 which is adapted to be en aged by a latch 29 when a door section is s id to extend out of its inclosing compartment its lfull extent or till said door section is extended till a groove 30 falls in the plane of the swing of atlatch 29, thus each of said door sections ing the rounded end portion of said groove to contact with the end of said latch to wed e or jam that door section to securely ho d the latter and prevent it from rattling or rising suliiciently far to ermit the ain in the car escaping throug the longitudinal joints of the door sections.

It is generally necessary to tap a grain car before it is possible to open a side door of a car on account of the great pressure of the grain against the inside of the door, I provide, for this purpose, an auxiliary hinged door 3l which is secured to swing automatically in a door opening 32 formed in the lower broader door section 6 and said door 31 is provided with a latch 33 Which is secured to said door by the rivets 34 which pass through the. slot 35 formed in said door to the cover strip 37 situated on the exterior side of the door, (see Fig. 6), and by which cover strip the latch 33 is raised 4to release the door. The said slot in said door isof such a length as to permit the latch 33 t0 be moved longitudinall sufficiently far `to release said auxiliary be opened, whereby said auxiliary door may be unlocked and. opened from the exl. combination with a Vplurality of superposed terior of the car.

'Itwill be particularly noted that the auxiliary swinging door isv secured in the door opening 32 of the lower door section G by suitable hinges secured to the top edge of said door o pemng to swing outwardly so that the pressure of the grain within the car will operate to open said door when said door latch is released.

Iclaimzy l. In a sectional door for grain cars, the

bearing portions oor to permit it to l longitudinally slidable door-sections, each provided with longitudinally extending lapping edges, inclined or beveled inner end an inclosing chamber strips extending ongitu'dinally thereof an terminating near theinner end of said chamber and arranged at their outer ends to ex tend sutliciently ytoward the open end of said chamber to contact the inclined end of said door sections when the latter are in closed position, of a door-bar, a door-bar lip, securing bolts extending through said doorbar-lip and arranged at inter-vals apart corresponding to the depth of each of said door sections, said door-sections adapted to be supported at their inner contacting beveled ends o n the outer contacting beveled ends of said strips and at their outer ends on Said door-bar lip securing bolts.

2. In a sectional door for grain cars, the combination with a plurality of superposed longitudinally-slidable door, sections, in-

clined or beveled end bearing portions on said sections, and a door section inclosing chamber, of a series of vlongitudinally extending stripsl dividing said chamber into ldoor section receiving partitions, and a beveled or inclined bearing end portion on each of said supporting strips, andy-each of said strips in said series arranged to extendv rogressively to contact the inclined end o the section to be supported.

3.In a sectional door for grain cars, the

combination with a plurality of superpo'sed longitudinally slidab e door-sections, a door inclosingchamber, longitudinally extending strips dividing saidchamber into door4section receiving compartments .wherein said door sections are.- telescoped,l of gravity A latches situated to swing transversely of each of said sections, each having its pivotal l point situated at a point intermediate its lonoferand smaller or trigger endsso that said latch 'will drop automatically into engagement with a doorsection to lock the same aiidp'revent itfrom rising.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence .of twoy witnesses.

FRANKLIN M REED.

Witnesses:

THOMPSON R. BELL, FRANCIS M. SPRINGER.' 

